Bijapur Journalist Murder: Detailed SIT Investigation Reveals Shocking Conspiracy
Raipur
In a chilling murder case, Bijapur journalist Mukesh Chandrakar was brutally beaten to death with an iron rod on January 1. To mislead investigators, his mobile phone was smashed and thrown into the Tumnaar River, 50 kilometers away from the crime scene. According to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) report, the murder was meticulously planned five days earlier by contractor Suresh Chandrakar. Mukesh’s investigative reports on alleged corruption in road construction, which had angered Suresh and his associates.
To solve the murder and apprehend the culprits, police forces from Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Odisha were roped in. The SIT identified Ritesh Chandrakar and Mahendra Ramteke as the ones who executed the murder, while Dinesh Chandrakar was responsible for disposing of the body.
In a press release on Thursday, the SIT revealed that over 100 call detail records (CDRs) were analyzed, CCTV footage was examined, and more than 50 individuals were questioned. Advanced tools like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) were utilized by the cyber team to track the culprits.
Suresh Chandrakar’s luxury vehicles, including four high-end cars and a mixer machine, were confiscated. The investigation revealed that Suresh had withdrawn a significant amount of money from his bank account on the day the murder was planned. Moreover, the accused had deleted all data from their mobile phones, which were sent to forensic labs for recovery.
On January 3, police arrested Dinesh Chandrakar, who later confessed during interrogation, revealing the roles of Mahendra Ramteke and others. Mahendra was apprehended at the Bijapur bus stand, and Mukesh’s body was retrieved from a septic tank after breaking it open. On January 6, Suresh was arrested from Hyderabad. All accused were presented in court on January 8 and sent to judicial custody.
According to the SIT, Mukesh was lured into room number 11 of a compound where Ritesh and Mahendra mercilessly beat him to death with an iron rod. Dinesh then arrived at night to help cover up the crime and ensure the accused could flee to pre-decided locations.
The SIT’s investigation revealed that Mukesh’s relentless reporting on corruption in road construction projects, which triggered inquiries, angered contractor Suresh. Feeling threatened, Suresh, along with his brothers, orchestrated the murder.
To divert suspicion, Suresh planned to appear uninvolved and was reportedly admitted to a hospital on January 3. However, police arrested him from there after he failed to provide a plausible explanation.
The SIT has ensured the accused are in custody, bringing some measure of justice for Mukesh’s brutal murder, but the incident highlights the ongoing challenges journalists face in exposing corruption and malpractice.
